Spool construction



June 27, 1939. H. c. HowsAM v -sPooL CONSTRUCTION Filed June 6, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l VE DI" HILYARD C. HowsAM H Lf/ C oww@ Aw mw O w Y MA 9:@ H

June 27, 1.939. H, Q HOWSAM 2,163,685 sPooL CONSTRUCTION Filed June 6, 1938 2 SheeisSheet 2 j; IZ

,HILYARD C. HowsAM Patented June 27, 1939 PATENT OFFICE 2,163,685 sPooL .ooNs'mUo'rloN Hilyard C. How'sam, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Hubbard Spool Company, Chicago, Iii., a corporation of Illinois Application June 6, 1938, Serial No. 212,002

Claims. (Cl. 242-124) rI'his invention relates to spools adapted particularly for holding material such as wire, the invention concerning particularly the construction of the spool elementsof sheet metal and the 6 assembly of the elements to form-a compact,

strong and rigid spool.

A'n important object of the invention is to provide a construction in which threaded nuts are secured at the ends of the spool barrel for receivll) ing screws passing through the spool vheads for securing the heads rigidly against the barrel ends. A further important object is to provide simple sheet metal supporting structures or cages for the threaded nuts which may be secured by welding or otherwise at the spool barrel endsand which may be connected by strengthening ribs or bar structures extending longitudinally against the inside of the barrel and secured thereto as by spot welding. l The invention also incorporates other features of construction and arrangement, all of which are incorporated in the structure shown on the drawings, in which drawings: Figure 1 is an end elevation of a spool with one of the heads partly broken away;

Figure 2 is a section on plane II-II of Figure 1; A

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on plane III-III of Figure 2 showing one form of nut supporting structure;

Figure 4 is an enlarged section on plane IV-IV Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a diametral section of the spool in which strengthening ribs extend between the nut supporting structures; l y

l Figure 6 is a diametral section of the vspool in which support for the nuts is provided in the ends of ribs or bars within the spool barrel;

Figure 7 is a diametral section of a spool showing the longitudinally extending ribs or bars providing a modified form of support for the nuts;

Figure 8 is an enlarged section on plane VIII-' urev 11; and

Figure 13 is an enlarged sectional View for more clearly illustrating the modied structure and arrangement of Figures 11 and 12. 65 Referring to Figures 1 to 4, the cylindrical Figure 12 is a section on plane XII.-XII Fig-` spool barrel I is of sheet metal bent into form with its ends abuttingto form the joint 2. The heads H may be sheet metal discs, or as shown they comprise a number of discs of wood, ber, or other non-metallic material, and these discs 5 may be secured together and protected by a rim or tire 4 of sheet metal. -The heads have openings 5 at their centers and these openings may be lined by sheet metal thimbles 6 with their ends deflected against the opposite sides of the 10 head laminations to hold the laminations together, the thimbles then affording passageways for receiving vthe arbors or other supports on which the spools are mounted during winding or unwinding of the material supported by the 15 spools.

A number of frames or cages C are secured against the inner side of the barrelat each end thereof for supporting threaded nutsv I which .receive screws 8 extending through the head 20 structurs whereby the head structures are clamped to the barrel ends. The frames or cages` C are of vsheet metal and of rectangular shape and as shown, they are three sided to provide a backwall 9 and the two side walls IIJ. At their 25 front edges the side walls I0 have. flanges II extendingl laterally therefrom and curved to fit the curvature of the inner side of .the cylindrical barrel so that the housings or cages C may be rigidly secured to the barrel by welding of thej30 flanges thereto, as indicated at X. At their'outer ends the back wall 9 and the side walls II) are deiiected inwardly a distance to form a seat I2 whose outer surface is in alignment with the corresponding end edge of the barrel. Any number of structures C may be provided, four being shown on Figure 1, and the head structures seat against the barrel ends and against the seats I2 of the structures C.

A distance inwardly from the inner ends of 40 the back and side walls of the structures C, these walls may be deectedinwardly a distance to form aligned shoulders I3 against which the nuts 1 abut when the screws are applied, and at their inner ends the back and side walls are ilanged inwardly to form stops I4 for retaining the .nuts in place. Before the structures C are secured to the barrel, the nuts are slipped through the open sides of the structures into position between the 50 shoulders I3 and the stop anges I4, and then when the structures C are welded in place the nuts will be in proper position for reception of the screws. One set of structures C is preferably welded to straddle the barrel seam 2 so that 65 when the structures are welded in place the seam will be held practically closed.

The heads H are provided with holes through which screws are 'applied and these holes at their outer ends may be countersunk to receive the screw heads which may be conical as shown, and preferably correspondingly shaped Washers I are provided for the screw heads. When the screws are applied and turned through the nuts, the heads will be securely and tightly clamped against the barrel ends and against the seating flanges I2 of the structures C.

In the modified arrangement, Figures 5 and 8, the structures C- are the same as in Figures 1 to 4 except that they are not flanged at their inner ends but are left open so that opposite structures C may receive bars I6. These bars may be of channel shape and of a length so that when inserted into the inner ends of opposite nut supporting structures C, the ends of the bar will hold the nuts against the shoulders I3 of the structures C, as shown in Figures 5 and 8.

The bars are preferably applied so as to engage with their backs against the inside of the barrel. The nut housings C are rst applied to the ends of the bar and the assembled structure is secured against the inside of the barrel by welding the housings C, and the bar I6 may also have its back welded by any number of spots to the barrel. Each opposed set of nut housings is connected by a bar so that where four housings are provided at each end of the barrel there will be four bar structures extending longitudinally through the barrel for strengthening the barrel. The heads are secured by threading the screws 8 through the nuts in the same manner as with the structure of Figures 1 to 4.

In the modified arrangement of Figures 6 and 9, supports for the nuts may be provided in the ends of bars l1, with the bars extending the full length of the barrel. I'he bars are of sheet metal and may be of rectangular cross section and provided with flanges or wings I8 which may be welded against the inside of the barrel. Near its ends the bar has its back and sides deflated to provide outer and inner abutments I9 and 20 for holding the nuts 1 in place and against turning. The head structures H are then clamped against the barrel ends when the screws are threaded through the nuts. One of the bars I1 is applied to straddle the barrel seam 2 so that when the bar flanges are welded to the barrel, the seam or joint will be held tightly closed.

In the modified arrangement shown in Figures 7 and 10, bars 2l of sheet metal extend longitudinally within the barrel the full length thereof and the bar may be of channel shape and provided with anges or wings 22 by which it may be welded to the barrel. Instead of deflecting the bar at its ends for support of nuts. the side walls of the bar are provided with opposed slots or openings 23 for receiving ears or projections 24 on the opposite side of a nut 25, the nut being thus held in screw receiving position. To more accurately align the nuts for reception of the screws, the ears 24 may be provided with notches 26 for receiving the edges of the bar side walls at the outer ends of the openings 23. The nuts are applied in the bar 2| before the lbar is welded to the barrel, and with the engagement of the bar edges in the recesses 26, the nuts will be properly aligned within the bar for reception of the screws which when applied will firmly clamp and secure the head structures H to the barrel.

Another modified arrangement is shown on Figures 11, 12 and 13. Instead of having the barrel of one piece, it may comprise a. number of parts or segments 21, three such segments being shown. Each segment along its longitudinal sides is deflected inwardly to form flanges 28 and when the segments 21 'are assembled the flanges 28 of each segment will be separated from the flanges of the adjacent segment by gaps 29. Adjacent flanges 28 receive between them near their ends a nut 30 which spans the gap, each nut having ears 3l extending from itsopposite sides into, openings 32, so that the nuts will be supported for reception of the screws 8 for clamping the head structures H against the ends of the barrel structure which comprises the segments 21. To afford more extended seating surface for the head structures, the ends of the segments may be deflected inwardly to form seating flanges 33.

In the modified structure of Figures ll, l2 and 13, I thus have the same general arrangement as that in the structures of the other gures and involving the support of nuts on the barrel structure for reception of screws for clamping the head structures to the barrel structure.

In the structure of Figures 11, 12 and 13, the barrel forming segments are assembled and .held by suitable means in proper alignment with the nuts between the adjacent flanges, and then when the screws are applied to secure the heads the segments will be rigidly held in proper relative position to form the barrel structure on which the wire or other material is wound. The longitudinally extending anges 28 function like the bars in the structures of Figures 5, 6 and 7, to strengthen the barrel structure.

I have thus produced a spool for the purpose described which is comparatively light but of sufficient strength and rigidity, and which can be economically manufactured and assembled, and which can be shipped in knockdown condition to be readily assembled by the user.

I have shown practical embodiments of the in` vention but I do not desire to be limited to the exact construction and arrangement shown and described as changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the Y invention..

I claim as follows:

l. A spool comprising a barrel structure, opposed walls rigid with said barrel structure'and extending inwardly therefrom, threaded nuts supported by and between said walls adjacent to the ends of the barrel structure, head structuresA for the spool, and screws extending through said head structures for engagement with said threaded nuts for securing the head structures to the ends of the barrel structure.

2. A spool comprising a barrel structure, walls rigid with said barrel structure and extending inwardly therefrom and longitudinally therein, threaded nuts between adjacent walls, abutments on said walls for positioning and holding said threaded nuts adjacent to the ends of the barrel structure, head structures for the spool, and screws extending through said head structures for engagement with said threaded nuts to clamp and secure said head structures to the barrel structure.

3. A spool structure comprising a sheet vmetal barrel, sheet metal housingswithin theA barrel welded thereto adjacent the ends thereof, threaded nuts within said housings engaged by opposite walls thereof tobe held in screw receiving position, head structures for the spool,`

and screws extending through the head structures into engagement with said, threaded nuts to clamp and secure the head structures to the barrel.

4. A spool comprising a sheet metal barrel, sheet metal housings welded to the inner side of said barrel to extend longitudinally and provldd with flanges at their outer ends lhaving their outer surfaces iiush with the barrel ends, threaded nuts in said housings, the walls of said housings inwardly of said flanges being deflected to seat and hold said nuts in screw receiving position;head structures for the spool, and screws engaging the head structures and said threaded nuts for holding the head structures intimately against the barrel ends and the housing iianges.

5. A spool comprising a sheet metal barrel, housing structures secured against the inner side of said barrel adjacent to the ends thereof, threaded nuts supported within said housing structures, head structures for the spool, screws engaging the head structures and said threaded nuts for securing the head structures to the barrel ends, and reinforcing bars for the barrel extending between said housing structures.

6. A spool comprising a sheet metal barrel structure, strengthening bars on the inner side of the barrel structure extending longitudinally therethrough, threaded nuts within said bars adjacent to the ends of the barrel structure, the walls of said bars being deflected inwardly to provide seats for said nuts to hold them in screw receiving position, head structures for the spool,

and screws extending through the head structures into engagement with said threaded nuts for clamping the head structures against the barrel ends.

7. A spool comprising a sheet metal barrel structure, walls extending inwardly and longitudinally in said barrel structure and terminating at the ends thereof, threaded nuts between adjacent walls, said walls being deflected to provide abutments for said nuts, headstructures for the spool, and screws extending through the head structures between adjacent walls into engagement with said threaded nuts for clamping the head structures against the ends of the barrel structure.

8. A spool comprising a barrel structure, sets of opposed walls extending inwardly and longitudinally within the barrel structure and terminating at the ends of the barrel structure, threaded nuts between each set of walls and having projections, openings in said walls for receiving said projections whereby said nuts Will be positioned and held, head structures for the barrel structure, and screws .extending through the head structures into engagement with said nuts to secure the head structures to the ends of the barrel.

9,l A spool structurecomprising a sheet metal barrel, housing structures in the form of sheet metal channels and extending longitudinally Within the barrel, flanges on said housings spotwelded to the inner side of the barrel, threaded members within said housings, the Walls of said housings being deected to provide shoulders for seating said threaded members adjacent to the ends of said barrel head structures for the spool,

and screws extending through said head struc- 

